A96093:293
The beatitudes
The beatitudes: or A discourse upon part of Christs famous Sermon on the Mount. Whereunto is added Christs various fullness. The preciousness of the soul. The souls malady and cure. The beauty of grace. The spiritual watch. The heavenly race. The sacred anchor. The trees of righteousness. The perfume of love. The good practitioner. By Thomas Watson, minister of the word at Stephens Walbrook in the city of London.The beatitudes: or A discourse upon part of Christs famous Sermon on the Mount. Wherunto is added Christs various fulnesse. The preciousnesse of the soul. The souls malady and cure. The beauty of grace. The spiritual watch. The heavenly race. The sacred anchor. The trees of righteousnesse. The perfume of love. The good practitioner. By Thomas Watson, minister of the word at Stephens Walbrook in the city of London.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1660
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4. The sweetness of tears; mourning is the way to Motive. 4 solid joy; the sweetest wine is that which comes out of the Wine-press of the eyes*; the soul is never more enlarged, than when it can weep. Closet tears are better than Court-music. When the heart is sad, weeping easeth it by giving vent: the soul of a Christian is most eased, when it can vent it self by holy mourning; Chrysostom observes, David who was the great mourner in Israel, was the sweet singer in Israel, Psal. 43.3. my tears were my meat; on which place Ambrose gives this gloss; No meat so sweet as tears; the tears of the penitent saith Bernard, are sweeter than all worldly joy; a Christian thinks himself sometimes in the suburbs of heaven when he can weep; when Hannah had wept, she went away and was no more sad; sugar when it melts is sweetest; when a Christian melts in tears, now he hath the sweetest joy; when the daughter of Pharaoh descended into the river, she found a babe there among the flags; so when we descend into the river of repenting tears, we find the babe Jesus there, who shall wipe away all tears from our eyes. Well therefore might Chrysostom solemnly bless God for giving to us this Laver of tears to wash in.
4. The sweetnesse of tears; mourning is the way to Motive. 4 solid joy; the sweetest wine is that which comes out of the Wine-presse of the eyes*; the soul is never more enlarged, than when it can weep. Closet teares are better than Court-musick. When the heart is sad, weeping easeth it by giving vent: the soul of a Christian is most eased, when it can vent it self by holy mourning; Chrysostome observes, David who was the great mourner in Israel, was the sweet singer in Israel, Psal. 43.3. my teares were my meat; on which place Ambrose gives this glosse; No meat so sweet as teares; the teares of the penitent saith Bernard, are sweeter than all worldly joy; a Christian thinks himself sometimes in the suburbs of heaven when he can weep; when Hannah had wept, she went away and was no more sad; sugar when it melts is sweetest; when a Christian melts in teares, now he hath the sweetest joy; when the daughter of Pharaoh descended into the river, she found a babe there among the flags; so when we descend into the river of repenting teares, we finde the babe Jesus there, who shall wipe away all teares from our eyes. Well therefore might Chrysostom solemnly blesse God for giving to us this Lavor of teares to wash in.